The Dark One's Slaves
by OUATWhoLock
Summary: AU Role reversal. Belle, the Dark One, needs a slave for a quest for him to fulfill. She purchases a boy named Baelfire, and his crippled father. They will be just what she needs to get back what is hers.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hello! I had this role reversal idea that I just had to write. I'm new to writing, so critiquing is helpful. Thanks!_

Belle sat at the spinning wheel, watching as the straw she spun came out gold. A sigh escaped her lips as she realized what day it was. It was the night of the full moon, where the nearby village would be bringing in their new supply of slaves. She supposed she should try again, since the last time had been a failure. Too many gave into the temptation of escaping, and she could not trust a slave who attempted such. As it were, she had been trying to accomplish this quest for many a months, going through over six slaves that had all failed. She thinks she might have been doing it wrong, and needs a further incentive for them to return from their expedition with the item she required to set her life straight.

She donned her signature red leather dragon coat and breeches and prepared for her journey to the village at the base of the mountain, Travplian. Calling upon her magic, she had it transport her to the back of the crowd in city square, where the slaves were being sold and everyone was gathered to view the slaves and possibly purchase one for themselves. She eyed the rows of slaves, looking for ones that may be of interest to her. She had to find just the right one this time. She sashayed through the crowd, which parted for her in fright. They knew she would be here, as she was every month the sale was held for the last few months. When she reached the front, she looked around and spotted William, the slave trader, and walked up to him.

"Same as last time? First pick?" She questioned him, looking around at the slaves on display, with chains around their legs.

"O-of course Dark One. Whatever you'd like" He stuttered, with fear apparent in his eyes.

Belle browsed through the row, hoping to find one that suited her needs. He would need to be young and strong, so that the quests she would send him on would prove to be fruitful. Some were too lanky, or too old, and when she was about to give up this time, she spotted one that met her fancy, and she walked over to him, inspecting him for injuries or sickness that would hinder him from traveling.

"William! This one here. Any problems with him?" She wanted to make sure she would not buy a defective slave. One that was obedient as well made it less work for her.

"Um… No problems at all. But he will put up a fight if separated from his father. I can throw the father in free if you'd like, he is not really worth anything since he's crippled." He swallowed nervously. Even after doing business with the Dark One in the past, he was still afraid he would say something wrong and end up as a snail, or worse.

Belle looks at the boy. He was but a teenager. She might have found all the incentive she needed then.

"Boy, what is your name?" She barked. He flinched when she spoke, but did little else.

"Baelfire Miss." He kept his eyes on the ground, staring at her red leather boots.

"Do you love your father Baelfire?"

"Yes, very much."

Belle looked over at William.

"Let me see the father." She demanded.

He walked to an area behind the slaves on display where the ones who were sick or injured or unfit for sale were kept. He pointed to a man who was sitting on the floor with shoulder length brown hair, and a walking stick by his side. Belle saw he was dressed in rags, and had deep brown eyes. He was very lanky, and kept his eyes on the floor as they approached.

"Are you Baelfire's father?" She questioned.

"Yes mistress." He was trembling slightly, but from sadness or fear Belle was not sure.

"Pity. Alright William, I'll just take Baelfire." She told him, without her eyes leaving the boy's father. She was testing him, to see how deep this love went.

"No!" He shouted, looking up at her. When he realized his mistake, he looked down again and his voice got quiet. "Please mistress, take me with him. I'll do anything. He's all I have."

William slapped the man in outrage. That he should speak out to the Dark One! But Belle was pleased with the outcome. She was hoping he would speak out for his son, and he had.

"Fine. William, I'll take them both." She snapped her fingers and the chains holding both Baelfire and his father disappeared from around their ankles. Belle conjured a spindle of gold, and handed it to William as he stared on in shock. He was always surprised by her generosity when it came to purchasing slaves. She gave him much more than anyone else purchased slaves for.

Belle walked away from the crowd, not looking back to see if Baelfire and the man were following. She knew they would. When she reached a quieter part of town she turned and looked at both of them. They both trudged along with their eyes downcast, and did not speak up once. She looked at the empty road, and conjured her horse-drawn carriage. Both the boy and his father looked at it in shock.

It was without a coachman, and she could tell by their expressions they were surprised she had magic. The father glanced over at her, seeing her for the first time. Belle was startled that the man did not react at all to her looks. Her green-gold skin had frightened quite a few people before. He looked down again, flinching when he saw he had been caught.

Belle sighed. "Get in the carriage." They rushed to follow her orders, facing away from the horses. She climbed in after them, and sat across from them both. She used her magic to put the horses on the route to home, and with a jerk, they were off.

"Alright, here are the rules." She started, wanting to get this over with before they reached her castle. "You are both free to talk, though I would watch what you say." She paused and looked over at them, but they merely nodded their heads. She continued, looking at Baelfire's father. "What is your name?"

"Rumplestiltskin mistress." He replied, without as much as a glance her way.

"Don't call me that. You will both refer to me as Belle. Baelfire, you will sleep in the bedroom three doors down from mine. I have a specific purpose for you, which I will get into detail later. Rumplestiltskin, you will sleep in the dungeon. It will most likely be a temporary residence. Your job during the day will be to make my tea at teatime. That is it for now. The rest of the time you will remain in the dungeon unless I say otherwise. Do you understand?" She stared at him, awaiting his response.

He let out a breath of relief. Though sleeping in the dungeon would not be comfortable, she was not making him do much, which is better than what his owners in the past had made him do. "Yes of course mi- Belle" He corrected.

Belle turned her attention to Baelfire. "I bought you so that you would fetch me things from around the land. Don't question why, but that will be your job. The rest of the time can be spent at your leisure." He nodded, acknowledging he understood, so she went on. "I don't recommend either of you trying to escape, unless you want to face the consequences. My magic will beat your stealth, so do not bother. You are both mine until I say otherwise." They nodded, and she looked out the window and noticed they were almost there. She could have teleported them there of course, but this way they would see how far the trip would be if they attempted to escape, and she was able to talk to them right away.

The gates to her grounds opened, and the carriage stopped outside the castle doors. Both father and son looked up at the huge castle with wide eyes. Belle climbed out of the carriage and motioned for them to follow. As they approached, the doors opened to allow them entrance. She moved through the Great Hall to the sofa in front of the hearth. She conjured a second sofa, and took a seat, motioning for them to do the same.

"Baelfire, I have your first quest. I'll explain how it will happen. I will teleport you to Travplian in three days' time, and from there you will journey to Avonlea, which is near the Marshlands. There will be a castle there. It will be completely empty because I put a ward on it so that none shall enter without my permission. I simply want you to go to the throne room, and grab the two crowns there. Bring them back, and I might allow your father free time out of the dungeon. If you fail, or attempt to escape, well I'm sure you can guess the consequences that'll come to your father, who will be staying here with me of course." She grinned wickedly, looking from father to son.

"Wait! Er… Belle, my son is only 14! Much too young to travel so far by himself. There are thieves and the like out there. He could die!" Rumplestiltskin was trembling heavily, holding his sons' hand and looking at Belle with a hopeless look in his eyes. He couldn't live without his son.

Belle rolled her eyes and sighed. "I protect what is mine." She summoned a magic steel band, and grabbed Baelfires' arm. The band clicked onto his arm and she let him go. "There. That bracelet can only be removed by me. It will prevent him from coming to harm in any way. Should he need my help, he can call my name. Although that does not mean you will be able to escape Rumplestiltskin, as the ward around my castle prevents that. Same goes for you Baelfire. That bracelet will turn you to ash if you do not return to the castle in a month. The trip should take less than a fortnight. Do you both understand?" She looked from father to son, waiting for a confirmation.

Baelfire paled, but did not say anything about the bracelet. He was not going to run away anyway since his father would be here. Rumplestiltskin answered with a yes while Baelfire nodded.

"Good. Other than that I think we shall get along fine, as long as neither of you disobey me of course." She smirked at them. It was approaching nighttime, and she figured she should get some rest. Belle did not need to sleep often, only a few hours a week, but she hadn't slept in a few days, and she was starting to become fatigued.

"I'll take you to your… rooms." She got up and accompanied them first to Baelfire's room, before she remembered to tell them one thing. "Oh, and you both are never to enter my apothecary in the West Wing, on pain of death." She grinned at this, and looked at Baelfire when they reached his room. "Goodnight." She teleported back into the Great Hall, behind where Rumplestiltskin was still nervously sitting.

"Ready?" She whispered in his ear. He jumped and let out a squeak.

"Yes." He replied quietly, standing so that he could follow.

Belle noticed he shook and wondered if he was going to faint or something. Just what she needed. She grabbed his upper arm and walked him down the stairs and into the nearest dungeon room. She conjured him a straw mattress and multiple blankets. It was approaching fall, and it would do no good for him to freeze to death.

"Goodnight. I expect you to make my morning tea tomorrow. I shall be in the Great Hall, or the Library. The castle will show you the way if you state where you want to go." She began to walk out when he spoke.

"Thank you Belle. I am very grateful you did not separate me and my son." She looked over her shoulder to where he was sitting on his mattress. His eyes shown with warmth, which she did not expect to come from a slave.

"No matter." She walked out and locked the door, before heading to her chambers.


	2. Chapter 2

Rumplestiltskin laid in his new bed, curled in his blankets, and thought about Belle. He'd heard rumors of the Dark One, but knew very little of her. They said she made deals, and was as evil as a person could be. He didn't think she was evil. In fact, she was almost nice compared to the slave trader. He was in a dungeon sure, but he was not in chains. And she let him come with his son. That had to count for something. He wondered if Baelfire was alright in his room. At least Baelfire would have a little freedom, by being able to leave the castle. He just hoped that bracelet would work and his son would be safe. Rumple didn't know what to think of the quest. What would the Dark One need of some crowns? Why didn't she get them himself? He fell asleep thinking about these things, and about the days to come.

He woke up early in the morning, and looked out the slit to see the sun coming up. He figured he should find the kitchen and get a head start, since his knee would prevent him from moving quickly. Rumple walked toward the locked door and wondered how he was supposed to get out. Just when he was contemplating calling for Belle, he decided to try pushing the door open. It couldn't hurt. He found the door was already unlocked. He climbed up the stairs, and looked at the passageway. His owner had told him to ask for directions. This felt silly talking to a castle.

"Kitchen, please." He whispered.

Sure enough, a faint light glowed down the passage, turning left at the fork. He followed the glow, and soon found himself in a huge kitchen. He looked around for the tea, and found Belle had left everything out on the table. He set about making the tea, and his stomach grumbled. He wondered how often and what he would be fed here. He did not want to get his hopes up, but based on the castle, his master was quite wealthy. Anything would be better than the gruel he and Bae were given by the slave trader.

When he finished making the tea, he set out to find Belle. She said she would be in the Great Hall or the Library, so he decided to check the Great Hall first, since it was closer. When he walked in there, he heard the creak of her spinning wheel. He placed the tray on the table and stood by it, not knowing what to do next. She didn't seem to notice him, so he spoke up.

"Belle, tea is ready." He spoke quietly, suddenly nervous of her again.

"I'll take my tea over here." She paused and looked at him.

He nodded and poured tea into her teacup. He cleared his throat. "How do you take your tea?"

"Two sugars, and honey." He made her tea the way she liked it, and started to walk over to where she was sitting at the spinning wheel. He began to shake again as he watched her stare and him with her amber orbs, almost as if testing him.

"I have one more job for you Rumplestiltskin. You are to skin the children I hunt for their pelts."

Rumple flinched and the teacup slipped from his hands, spilling her tea all over the rug. He froze, looking at her in horror.

"That was a quip. Not serious." Belle said, while Rumple slowly let out the breath he'd been holding. "Oh."

Looking down, he shuttered when he saw the chip in her teacup. He bent down, taking care not to hurt his knee. He held it up for Belle to see, and clenched his eyes shut.

"I uh… I'm sorry. It… It's chipped." He waited for a blow or pain or something, but none came. He slowly opened his eyes. She was peering at him.

"It's just a cup." She stated, then turned back to her wheel and began to spin.

"R-right. I'll clean that up. Let me get you a new cup." He grabbed a new cup from the tray and remade her tea. He took care not to spill it this time, and handed it to her. Rumple went back to the kitchen to grab a rag, and when he entered the Great Hall, his son was descending the stairs and coming into the room. He quickly cleaned up the mess he made, and stood up, getting ready to retreat back into the dungeon. She had told him he would only be out for tea, after all.

He got halfway to the stairs that led down when she stopped him with her voice.

"What are you doing?"

He squirmed under her gaze and turned around.

"I-I'm going back to the dungeon. You said-" He was cut off.

"Yes, yes, I know what I said. Breakfast is the in kitchen for you and Baelfire." With that, she went back to work on her spinning. Rumple and Baelfire looked at each other and walked together to the kitchen.

On the table sat some eggs and toast for the both of them, and even a few pastries! Rumple could not remember the last time he ate so well. Not even at home did he have such luxuries. They took their seats and began to eat.

"Bae, did you sleep alright?" Rumple asked him, concern evident on his face.

"Yes Papa, I slept fine. Although I worried about you. Were you okay?" Bae looked at him, searching for signs of pain or discomfort.

"It was fine Bae. She gave me a straw mattress and plenty of blankets. I slept better than I did when we were at home." He smiled to relieve Bae's tension. It really wasn't so bad. He could handle it, especially with the food making up for any discomfort in the dungeon.

"I just worry about you. Two days and you'll be on a journey for a long time, by yourself. Maybe I should go instead…" Rumplestiltskin trailed off, avoiding his son's eyes.

"No Papa, you will not make it far with your leg. I will be fine, I'm sure of it."

The rest of the meal was spent in silence, and before long they were finished eating. Bae walked his father back down to the dungeon, making sure his accommodations were okay. He was relieved to find the area fairly large for a dungeon room, and he did in fact see plenty of blankets to ward off the cold at night.

They said their goodbyes and Bae closed the door behind him, and jumped when the door locked on its own accord. He walked back up the stairs and into the Great Hall, where Belle was still sitting at her wheel, making more than a king's ransom of gold.

"Belle?" He asked nervously.

"Yes?" She stopped and looked up at him.

"Why does my father have to be in the dungeon? Neither of us will run, not even if we could both escape. We bare the mark of a slave, so we'd only get taken into captivity again. At least let me switch places with him. He can take my room and I'll sleep in the dungeon." He kept his eyes down, afraid he went too far and she would punish him.

"Let's call it your incentive. You get what I request, and I'll give him free time. Maybe sometime I'll give him a room too. I have more than one thing for you to get after all." She glanced over at him, and he nodded.

Bae walked past her and into the library, where he found a book and sat down to read.

The next few days consisted of the same thing. Rumple would only leave the dungeon to make tea and eat. Bae would spend his free time in the Library, and Belle went back and forth from spinning straw into gold and working on her potions at the top room of the West Wing.

When the time came for Bae to leave, his father hugged him fiercely. Belle gave him further instruction, and when he had his supplies packed, Belle teleported him to Travplian so he could begin his journey.


End file.
